Publisher's Synopsis
Whilst it is widely accepted that men should play a greater part in the rearing of their own children, there is much less agreement about the involvement of men in the care of other people's children. Nursery nursing is one of the most female-dominated of occupations. Yet if society were completely equal with regard to gender we might expect as many men as women to be working in services for young children. At the same time, when men do enter this most stereotypic female occupation, there can be suspicion of their motives and even a fear that they may pose a danger to the children. This book reports on an international seminar which examined in detail all aspects of men working in services for young children. It drew on experience from Britain, the USA and several Scandinavian countries. The book looks at the potential benefits of men in childcare - both to the children and to society in general; at the dangers that men might pose and how these can be eliminated; at the impact of men entering a predominately female occupation for the women who work there; and at initiatives trying to recruit more men as childcare workers. The book also discusses the issue of gender pedagogy - whether men and women care in different ways - and whether boys and girls need to experience both.
